PNEDSA is Preston North End's Disabled Supporters Association. It is the aim of PNEDSA to look after the needs of disabled supporters and to ensure that the club recognises these needs.
Barbara McCombs set up and runs PNEDSA and, as part of ensuring the club meets the needs of disabled supporters, sits on the CAST committee.
If you have any questions or comments for PNEDSA please send us a message.
Here Barbara gives us some further information about PNEDSA and how it was formed.
Some years ago it was decided that a section of disabled supporters needed to form a supporters group of their own, many of whom travelled to the away matches or wanted to but did not have the transport. At the time transport was being provided but only for those able to get on the coach and walk from the car park. Of course there where other problems that faced the disabled and at that time it seemed that the supporters groups did not wish to encourage the disabled to join.
A group was set up for the disabled and a membership of 6 soon became 11 then on to 30. Having been rejected as a group by other supporters groups we decided to go it alone and to seek transport that would be wheelchair accessible. We found this in Lancashire ambulance logistics so we set about finding the funds to pay for the mini coach and we were off to the matches. Although we only had two wheelchair users on board we had many ambulant disabled who welcomed the transport and became regular travellers with us, in fact we out grew the mini coach and hired a vehicle from Warrington.
We had applied to PNE to see if they would provide a coach that would take the wheelchair users on board, but we were informed to do this would mean the coach would be too expensive. It would have been so easy to give up and disband the association at that time, but we didn’t and I for one am delighted that we took that course to carry on because now we have been accepted as part of the well known PSG group and as such we have now become part of a very well run organisation who we know will be there to stand by us. We will of course have our independency as we will always need that little bit of extra consideration when arranging venues and travel and I hope the Chair and committee will understand and accept this.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to the Chair and the committee of PSG for accepting the PNE Disabled Supporters Association as part of their organisation. After 6 years of being a small splinter group we have now been accepted by the leading group of supporters at PNE. It is wonderful that we can now give our support for the group as part of PSG and we will be supportive of all they do. We will still have our own committee, who in turn will ensure the needs of the disabled will be taken into consideration at all events.
I am sure you will all wish with me a long and happy association of PSG and PNEDSA together.
Barbara McCombs, PNEDSA
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